Clothesline grip



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H. H. PODJUS CLOTHESLINE GRIP Filed July; 15, 1922 Patented May 29, 1923.

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HARRY I'I. PODJUS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLOTHESLINE GRIP.

Application filed July 15, 1922. Serial No. 575,227.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY H. PODJUS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Clothes line Grip; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a fastening de vice for holding a clothes line such as are secured to the sides of buildings or the tops or sides of posts or fences to'support the line for the usual purpose.

It is an object of this invention to provide a fastening of the kind described in which the line can be quickly and easily put into place. 1

It is a further object of this invention to devise a fastening of thesort described in which the clothes line may be readily put into place even thoughthe fastening is above the ordinary reach of the operator.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a fastening for a clothes line with a guiding surface by which the line shall be led downward into the proper position for fastening. I

It is a further object of this invention to devise a fastening in which the line shall be held by the pinching action of acam and in which the line will be guided to. its position between the pinching parts by suit able surfaces. I

It is further object of this invention to provide a fasteningiof the sort described in which the floor of the passage through which the clothesline goes shall be oblique for readydrainage.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the drawings and specification.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a top plan view.

Figure 4 is a section upon the line 14- of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a front view, and Figure 6 an edge view of a modified form.

As shown on thedrawings:

The grip has a base plate 10 provided with holes 11 for the reception of screws to attach the base plate to a post, to the side of a building or fence, or to any other suitable support. In the form illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, midway of the base plate is a shelf 12 preferably integral with the base plate. For the further support of the shelf a web 13 is provided which is also integral with the base plate.

Integral with the upper portion of the base plate 10 are a pair of side members 15 which project forwardly to form a semicircular Wall around the back of the shelf 12, as may best be seen in Figure 4E. The right hand portion of this semi-circular wall is toothed, as shown at 16 in Figure 1, and the left hand portion is somewhat enlarged so that the wall does not present a true semi-circle. The flaring character of the left hand portion. is illustrated at 17 in Figure 4. At the very edges of the side members 15, they are turned more sharply outward, as shown at-18.

The shelf 12 is provided with a pivot l which may be secured in place by a cotter pin 20 or in any other desired Way. Integral with the upper part of the pivot19, or secured thereto in any desired manner, is a rotating member 21. The lower portion of this member is of a general semicircular cross section, as is best seen in Figure 4. The curved face of the lower portion of this member is provided with teeth 22 which are seated in a groove 23 which is shown in Figures 1 and 2. The teeth 16 are also formed in a curved way to constitute a co-operating wall so that between the teeth 22 and 16 there is a passage of approximately circular cross section for the clothes line. The pivot 19 is eccentric to the semi-circle of the rotatable part 21, so that when it rotates one end or the other of the circular passage for the rope will be constricted.

The upper portion of the rotatable member 21 is brought to a blunt-point, as shown from one pomt in the bottom of the member 21, and a notch 27 is formed in the shelf 12 to receive this lug.

' ably it is located as high as .can 'be In the form shown in Figures 5 and 6 the shelf 32, instead of being horizontal .asjis,

the shelf 12, is placed obliquely. Its end-s are united with the base plate-10 by means of oblique webs 38. A pivot 89 has a cotter pin 10, by means of which a rotatable member 41 is mounted upon the shelf 32. A

flange 415 projecting partly from the base 10 andpa'rtly from the shelf co-operates with the part of the rotatable member nearest the shelf 32 to form a passage for the clothes line. This flange is provided with teeth 16 along one wall ofthe passage for the rope. The shelf '32 forms an adjacent wall for this passage, and the rotating member 41 has a groove 53 which forms the wall of the passage opposite the teeth 46. The groove 53 may or not be supplied with teeth corresponding to the teeth 22, as is desired.

The rotating memberlll has a horn 55 extending from the top of the rotatingmemher. The tip of this horn is not a sharp point but is bluntly rounded. The surfaces approaching the tip are gradually curved so asYto lead the rope to the groove 53. A stop 56 integral .with therotating member 11, and co '-,operati ng with a notch 57in the shelf 32 is provided to limit the motion of the rotating member In the operation of the device, the base plate 10' is'screwedflto the support. Preferent iently reached or a little higher. The operator makes a loop or a bightin the clothes line and places or throws the bight over the top 25' of the rotating member'2l or .the top 55 of the rotating member 411. The free end 60 of the clothes line is then pulled. The other portion 61 of the clothes line has been-previously secured in any desired manner to any suitable fastening. A pull upon the end 60 with the portion 61 of the clothes line made fast results in a tension which causes the clothes line to slip downward over the curved surface of themember 21 or ll and so arrive in the groove 23 or 53. A further pull upon the free end 60 of the clothes line causes the rotatable member to rotate about the pivot in a clockwise directhroughout.

tion, asseen in Figure 1 The stop 26' arriving in the notch 27 or the stop 56 arriving in the notch 57 causes the rotating member to come-to rest in a position in which the passage for the clothes line is of ample width 60 of the clothes line is continued until the portion '61 has the desired degree of tension. The end 60 is then slackened and the ten- 25 of the member 21.

The pulhupon the free end.

sion in the portion 61 causes the clothes line ;tweeirsaidmember and the side member 15,

with the result that the clothes line is held :firmly in place by the pinching action and the effect of the teeth 16 and 22. p

The enlargement of the passage for the clothes line, as shown'at 17, and the flaring character of the end portions -18 -give play in the untoothed portions of -'the passage for the clothes line so that' the direction- 0f the end '60 or of the portion 61"11GQQ1 notibe as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4,ibut may varyeven as much as90 degrees to the right or left of 'this position. The fact that the roomier part of the passage is away from the free end of therope also assists in lead.- ing the rope into the passage as tension is applied to the end 60. I

When it is desired to release-the-clothes line, the end -60is pulled until the member.

21 has rotated to the position where the passage is of ample width throughout. 13y grasping the portion '61 and pulling'towards the grip the end :60 may be slackened without causing the member 2-1 to rotate backto the fastening position. hen this; is done,

the member 60 may be caused to snap upward out of the'groove 23 by givingit a slight ftwitch and" be brought over the top If the operator is quick, he may slacken the end 60 and giveit a twitch in the way just described without the necesslty of graspingthe portion '61 and pulling toward the fast'enerfin order to release the clothes line. Also if the grip is located low enough for theoperatorto do so he'may exert anupwar which will rotate the meiriber 21-=to releas ing position and then will cause -therope to slip'upand out. Y

In the form shown in Figures 5, and 5, the same methodlof operation a'ppliesesrcept that the pull upon the endfifl-is diriected pbliquely downward and lightly toward-the right. in

releasing the rope from this form ofgrip-the and so to mark the clothes line. i

I am aware that numerousvaniationsin to become rusty details may be made and tthatthe variations i may be carried through a wide .degreeavithout departing fromthe spirit of-this invention. l

I claim as my invention:

1. In a clothes line gripping device, a rotatably mounted gripping member having a height more than twice the diameter of the clothes line the upper portion of said member terminating in a bluntly rounded point and forming a guide .for the line to gripping position.

2. In a clothes line gripping device, a rotatably mounted gripping member, having a height more than twice the diameter of the groove,

4. In a clothes line gripping device, a rotatable member having a groove for the pas sage of the clothes line, the height of said member being more than twice the width of said groove, a bluntly rounded point at the upper end of said member, gently curved scribed my name in the presence of two subguiding. surfaces extending from said point to the upper edge of said groove, a base plate, a grooved surface and a shelf integral with said base plate, said grooved surface co-operating with the groove in said rotatable member to afl'ord a passage for the clothes line, and said rotatable member having an eccentric pivot passing through said shelf.

5. In a clothes line gripping device, a ro' tatable member havlng a groove for the passage of the clothes line, the height of said member being more than twice the width of said groove, a bluntly rounded point at thev upper end of said member, gently curved guiding surfaces extending from said point tothe upper edge of said groove, a base plate, a grooved surface and a shelf integral with said base plate, said grooved surface co-operating with the groove in said rotatable member to afford a passage for the clothes line, said rotatable member having an eccentric pivot passing through said shelf, and ratchet formed teeth upon the opposing walls of said passage to prevent backward motion of the clothes line.

6. In a clothes line gripping device, a base plate, a shelf integral with said base plate and extending at an oblique angle to the vertical dimension of said plate, and a rotatably mounted gripping member pivoted on said shelf, said member and said base plate being provided with co-operating surfaces to form a passage for the clothes line, the wall of said passage between said cooperating surfaces being formed by a portion of said shelf.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribing witnesses.

HARRY H. PODJ US.

Witnesses CARLTON HILL, OSCAR HARTMANN. 

